Somebody Squealed...

...that Hambo Hoedown was offering another challenge: use wire, twine, yarn, fiber, ANYTHYING BUT RIBBON OR LACE! So here is my latest creation, a birthday card that any swine would love, but especially the swine behind these bars. I'm using Hambo Stamps Pig Inmate- digi image, colored with Copics and adhered to the inside of my card. The front has a window cut, on which I placed a leftover piece of DCWV Green Stack patterned paper and the first part of the sentiment from Hambo, "Somebody squealed..."

On the inside is my image and the second part of the sentiment, "...that it's your birthday."
I used black wire strung vertically across the open window to keep my little piggy in its cell. The only thing that keeps him happy is his rainbow-colored uniform (in celebration of Gay Pride today).
So swing on by the Hambo Challenge Blog. Every participant is a winner!

Laughter is the Best Medicine

Sometimes, laughter is the only medicine. So when I heard a friend was in need of some medicine, I created this extended Accordian card for her and filled it with funny quotes and colored images. I "extended" the card by attaching a regular 4.25x5.5 card on the front, so that the sentiment and message are inside and confidential.

Using images from Hambo Stamps, Squigglefly and HouseMouse, I was able to pull sentiments with images for a nice read for my friend.

I colored all aimages with Copics, my ink of choice, and stamped the rubbers with CTMH Black ink.

The setiments and funny quotes are mostly from The Quote Garden.

I love the way the card came together. This is my first accordian card, but it won't be my last! It is versatile, standing open for the receiver to glance at, allowing for more than one line or sentiment but an assortment.
I just know that as much love that went into this project is sent to my friend, and prayers for her as well. You may or may not know my friend, but you know me, at last theough this blog. Please send up a prayer for her and anyone you know who is sick. Thank you!
If you want a tutorial, let me know and I'll make one for you...

First Card Using The Ultimate Tool

(written on Wednesday, 6/22) Just so excited! I won the Ultimate Crafter’s Companion Tool from Crafter’s Companion Challenge Blog last month!! My prize came yesterday so I couldn’t wait to dig in and create something with it.
As I placed it on my work table to start reading instructions, the power went out. We spent the next three hours in the basement, power out, granddaughter over, watching Dora DVDs until my laptop battery pooped out. No creating last night!!
Today we got our power back, one of the very few lucky areas to get it, so I did what any other red-blooded American crafter would do---I plugged in the computer to the charger to the outlet and started watching the tutorial DVD that came with it!!!

So here is my first project with the Ultimate of ultimate crafting tools. Using an image from my new Fairyopolis Summer Collection stamps (two actually, as you will see soon), I made a Summer Card for the June Challenge at the Crafter’s Companion Challenge Blog (I am so greedy, I now want to win the Paint Fusion Bundle they’re giving away in June!).

What’s so special about this card, you ask? Well, as you can see from the second photo, I made it into a “pop out” card using the Ultimate Tool and the tutorial DVD! My first pop out card ever!
I colored the first fairy image for the front using Copics: RV001; Y17, 11; BG10 & 72. I used Crystal Stickles for some shine, dotting a frame on the outside of the image. I cut out hearts with a punch and glitzed them up with same Stickles before using them as photo corners, added two Princess Jewel brads at the top, and placing a butterfly (OTC) on the page. This was all framed out on PaperTrey cardstock and a wide piece of lace.
On the inside, I colored the fairy with same Copics plus RV34, then spritzed some Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist in Bubblegum Pink and attached to the inside of my cardstock base. Using the Ultimate Tool, I scored a piece of handmade patterned paper and cut out the heart shape in the center, affixing it at both sides, so that when the card is closed, it lays flat, and when the card is open, the heart pops out and you have an extra scene to peek into. The sentiment is also from Crafter’s Companion Fairyopolis stamp set, and says “Every little girl wants to be a fairy”.
So hurry now, you have until the end of the month to get in on the challenge and be in the running for some awesome prizes!
I have to go to work in half an hour, so I don’t have any more time to play with my new toy, but I did want to post this on my blog and show the wonderful team over at Crafter’s Companion how much I’m enjoying my prize. Mil gracias for this fantastic addition to my crafting habitat!! Thank you so much.

I've Been Keeping a Secret

and it's time to tell the world---I was chosen to design for Squigglefly.com!!

They have a huge selection of digi images by many different designers, so anyone and everyone will find something to fall in love with at the STORE. The image I used here is called Moon Fairy and is available for purchase. Like it? Check out their store! Don't have any Squigglefly images yet? Check out a few FREEBIES and you'll see why I'm so excited.
You'll soon see some of my creations on their BLOG, as well as on my own and in my SCS and PCP galleries. I'm so pumped to work with Heather and Marlene and all the wonderful crafters at Squigglefly!! Thank you Holly for inviting me to play!!

Funny Birthday Card

Hambo Stamps has a very cute digi-image, Laughing-digi, that I made into a step card for their challenge at the Hoedown this week. I printed the image, complete with sentiments, twice, and colored both with Copics: E00,13,37; Y17; YR61; V000; RV34; BG10,72; C1,3 & 100.
I used the sentiment "You're How Old?" on the first step, the laughing people on the second, and a combo of both with the sentiment "HaHaHaHaHa" on the last step. The challenge was to use this image with the color combo of RED, TEAL AND WHITE. Check out the Bacon Bits' inspiration cards and the challenge HERE. If you like this image, you can find it HERE.

Happy Father's Day to the Love of my Life

What a great weekend! I spent yesterday with my sister at Great America. It was her company event and she invited me to be her companion. So we got two free tickets, parking was free, lunch was free, refreshments were free all day in the picnic grove, AND we each received ten dollars to spend! And a friend's sonwon us each a HUGE stuffie (which of course is going to Bella). I'm as red as a lobster, but not in pain.
TODAY the family gave hubby some great gifts for father's Day. He really wanted a nice desk chair, which we picked up for him, along with what WE wanted to give him: a lounge chair, the last installment of the Frankenstein book series by Dean Koontz, a spray bottle of sunscreen and a case of Corona!!
He loves it ALL! Mission completed for 2011!! And I'm sdoing the grilling, BBQ pork chops with poatato and onion packets and devilled eggs and salad. Yum!!
What a fantastic weekend! Hope you all have the same, in your own way!

Tri-fold Shutter Card

I love the look of an unusually-folded card. I fell in love with tri-fold shutter cards a year ago, and it is still one of my favorite cards to make and amaze. There are numerous tutorials on YouTube and SCS, and if you have a ScorPal, it makes creating this card a piece of cake!
I used my ScorPal and scored a 5.5x12" piece of cardstock at 2, 4, 8 and 10" horizontally, and scored then cut vertically at 2" and 3.5" 2" from each end. After folding my score lines, I then embellished the card. That mirror butterfly really makes the card shine, I think! I gave it to my hubby and he loved it! Mission accomplished!!
My card is entered in the Crafty Catz Weekly CHallenge, which asks for Fancy Folds. I think this qualifies! They're offering a gift voucher to The Paper Shelter for one randomly selected winner, so check them out!

Do Not Disturb This Crafter

My Yahoo Group is really hopping. The challenges are being posted daily, sometimes more than once a day! One of the newest ones was to alter a CD, using a cartoon theme. So I decided to use some patterned paper that was on clearance at Joann's quite a while ago (8 cents a 12x12 sheet!) and run with the Charlie Brown theme. Because his signature line is Good Grief!, I made my altered cd into a DO NOT DISTURB door hanger for my craft room! I cut circles out in varied sizes of brown and teal blue papers, using my Creative Memories Circle Cutter, to layer my round door hanger, and placed a wide ribbon behind the focal point of my project for hanging on the door knob, popping out the top layer with dimensional dots. A few Teal Skittles around the edges, a Martha Stewart grossgrain bow and some outlining with a sakura gelly roll pen finishes off the hanger (of course, I also inked the edges, my signature technique).
I think it looks nice, but I'll find out how well it works on Friday, my day off, as I sequester myself in my craft room, warning away all trespassers with my new DO NOT DISTURB sign!

Hurray for Dad!

The family is on Dad Patrol. He needs anything from down the stairs, there they go for him! Garbage needs to go out? My son will run it out! Feel like pork chops tonight? They're in the oven by the time he gets home from work.
AND we all give him special cards on his day, too. Of course, the family comes to me for the cards, and so here is one from my son. He said dad does so much, he juggles work and bill paying and driving all over, so I took that juggling theme to heart and colored a Dustin Pike digi-image.
I cut out the birthday party hat and the cupcake that he was originally holding and replaced the cupcake with a a fishbowl, which was a lonely, leftover sticker that I popped onto white cardstock and outlined in black. I used the following Copics to color my elephant: C1,3 & RV00. That's all! and colored him twice, and popped out his trunk with some dimensional dots. I handwrote the sentiment with White Gelly Roller pen from Sakura, and added a couple of blue, shaped paper clips, and pasted the image against a diecut yellow starburst.
CHALLENGES:
Delicious Doodles - Father's Day/Masculine theme
Stamp, Scrap & Doodle Saturdays - FATHER'S DAY
Paper Play - FATHER'S DAY
Crafts & Me - STAMP SOMETHING

Another Summer Day, Another Summer Card

It is HOT, HOT, HOT outside today. That's why I'm in my craft room, to cool off and PLAY!
SO I played with another new stamp set from Crafter's Companion, "Thanks a Bunch" starring Popcorn Bear. I can see a lot of my wages chasing after all the Popcorn stamp sets they have at the Crafting Companion Store.
So their Challenge Blog is offering a June Challenge, looking for Summer projects using any CC image. You can enter more than once, so I made a second card for their June challenge. Wait til you see what the prize is for one lucky random winner! But before you check out their blog, let me give you the deets on my newest card:
I made a 6x6 card with coordinating bookmark. I colored my Popcorn Bear image with Copics: E00,13; Y11,15; YR16; G00,02; BG05,10,15 & 100(BLACK).
I put some shine to him with Red and Icicle Stickles, and used Stickles to create some background glitz. The sentiment on the bookmark is from the same stamp set.
Okay, run along and check out the Crafter's Companion Challenge Blog, and if you fall in love with their stamps like I did, I'll see you around the store's website! have fun!
CHALLENGES:
Craft Catz - BOOKMARK

Do You Like Pina Coladas?...

Whew, what a week! Things are really flying at work, busy, busy, busy, but good busy, really getting things accomplished, projects finished, files archived, etc. Just glad summer office hours give me Fridays off!
And to start my extended weekend with a bang, I made this nifty card for hubby, a kind of teaser leading up to our dream vacation in Cozumel.
That great digi-image is from Hambo Stamps, called Three Ties digi-image. It comes with three different ties, but I chose the tropical one to color and make this card. I colored it with Copics: E00; Y15,17; B2,4,12; G00,21,94 & BG15. I added texture by crimping some of my background paper and shine with Yellow, Waterfall & Crystal Stickles, as well as Clear Star Gelly Roll pen. I embellished my card with leftover vacation stickers from my stash.
I've entered this card into the Hambo Hoedown #19, which asks for the use of a Hambo image PLUS a sketch, which you can find HERE. Hop on over to the hoedown for the challenge guidelines--everyone who plays is a winner!
CHALLENGES:
Craft Your Passion - ANYTHING GOES
Spoonful of Sugar - #155 HERE COMES SUMMER
PaperTake Weekly - ANYTHING GOES
Craft Us Crazy - Masculine/Father's Day

What Holiday Is It?!

I love to color images! Whether they are generic or specific, you can still bend the rules with just a little coloring and embellishing. Take this card, for instance. I used Squigglefly’s Cranky Witch digi-image, but I didn’t follow the well-worn path and make a Halloween card with it. I decided to make a Valentine’s Day card instead.
A few pinks and reds, a heart, and a Valentine sentiment, and my cranky witch is the object of adoration on the day of love.
The Squigglefly Challenge Blog has a new challenge this week: Make a card using an image for one holiday, but change it up and make it into a different holiday! You should see some of the inspiration projects there!! I guarantee you will take a look at your stamps and digi images with a new eye!
OTHER CHALLENGES:
CRAFT YOUR PASSION - Challenge #61 – Anything Goes

Flowers are Popping Up all Over!

Since I can't enjoy real flowers (allergies), I have to give them my love through my card making. Isn't she a little cutie?! This is one of my newest images from Crafter's Companion stamps, called Busy Doing Nothing. Their challenge blog has a new challenge for June, which is a summer theme or summer colors. I love the color combo of yellow and sky blue--so, well, summery! I colored her with Copics: Y11,15,17; B63 & V04. The flowers and grass are colored with Copics: YG03,67 & B63. The high grass behind her is a small piece of an advertising brochure I got in the mail (nice match, huh?), and the butterfly is an applique from Hobby Lobby. The patterned paper background came from a rummage sale find, a whoile stack of paper for a dollar. The inside of the card has a pop-up element, and I used another stamp from the same set, flowers in a small glass jar, to go with the sentiment "Thanks a Bunch" which is actually from another set of stamps from Crafter's Companion.
You have all month to enter their June challenge, so go check them out here.

New Kids on the Hambo Block

Hambo Stamps is releasing EIGHT brand new digis.
Their new weekly challenge is all about the new Kids digi images and buttons to make a thank you card. My card uses Strawberry Kid digi image, which I received free for entering their last week’s challenge.
I colored him with Copics: E00,08; B93,97; R29; RV09 & G21 & YG67. I paper pieced three layers of the printed image to give him dimension and placed him on a card, then tucked that card into a pocket card whose template I received from Stampin Up. I used patterned paper on which I printed friendship quotes, and the card stock card base is Paper Trey's Ocean Tides. The sentiment came with the Strawberry Kid digi, and the few strawberries that are stamped and colored came from my dear friend Linda.

I embellished the card with some grossgrain ribbon that I colored with Copic G21 to match the colors of my card, and a MS bow that I adhered to my strawberry-colored BUTTON.
I think it's very summery. Go check out the Bacon Bits' inspiration cards at the Hambo Hoedown this week!!

June is the Month for Dads

Scrapbook Place Challenge Blog has a new challenge this week---"create a masculine card, layout or project in honor of the special men in our lives".

My challenge card uses a handy dandy tool image, and I need help identifying the free digi-image I snagged from a very generous crafter/blogger/company. I colored it with Copics: E35,71; C1,3 & Y11,15,17 The background paper is several father’s day sentiments in different fonts and sizes, printed in Word on purple cardstock. I embellished the card with a metal heart brad and some wire, with a few adhesive-backed jewels for some shine. The inside sentiment reads: “Can’t imagine tooling around this world without you – Happy Father’s Day”.
Can you believe it's already June?!
TodaY'S CARD also QUALIFIES FOR THE FOLLOWING CHALLENGES:
CRAFT YOUR PASSION - What A Guy
STAMPING SCRAPPING CRAFTING CHALLENGE BLOG = MASCULINE THEME